Prepping for a Pet Emergency
Montanans know to be prepared for anything.
Move to this state from somewhere else and you’ll get the 4-1-1 on emergency preparedness pretty fast: you need to have a shovel, candle kit, water and blankets for your car in winter and a basic readiness for wildfire in the summer.
However, few folks consider how to prepare in the event their pup or kitty suffers a personal emergency, even though these situations arise more often. It’s not uncommon for folks to need to rush to the vet and pay an exorbitant bill because they haven’t prepared with proper materials to care for their pet. Immediate care to stop blood loss and prevent infection can mean the difference between surviving and not surviving an accident.
Doggy and kitty emergency kits can be bought fairly inexpensively online, or you can even make your own. A lot of the equipment inside these pre-made kits is the same as what you would find in human first aid kits.
This one from GunDogSupply has some equipment that is definitely unique for animals, such as a pill gun.
Contents include: hydrogen peroxide, styptic pencil, 2" flexible cohesive wrap, alcohol prep pads, 4" x 4" gauze pads, 3-ply towels, iodine solution, saline solution, stainless steel scissors, surgical scrub brush, 10 cc syringe, hydrocortisone cream, triple antibiotic ointment, 3" cotton swabs, cotton balls, latex tourniquet, vinyl gloves, pill gun, iodine pads, staple gun, 6" x 9" cold pack, eye wash, thermometer with case, stainless steel forceps.
Source: www.gundogsupply.com
Some emergency preparedness folks also recommend Benadryl, which can be administered in event of an allergic reaction. And that peroxide? While it disinfects, it can also be used to induce vomiting in pups and kitty. Activated charcoal can also be used in poisoning situations. It’s wise to consult your veterinarian before using either of these methods.
Also, a rectal thermometer and petroleum jelly are good additions to any kit in case a fever comes into play.
If your dog or cat is prone to certain predicaments, like getting into a hornet’s nest on a farm or eating things he or she shouldn’t, you might want to stock up on certain items like peroxide, antihistamines or charcoal. Remember, pets sometimes have short memories, and don’t have the brain power of humans, so they might not understand that they don’t need to run across that hornet’s nest or bad food again.
It’s not uncommon for pets to get into things more than once. Thankfully, good humans make all the difference.